The Race
by jeymien
Summary: My take on the series finale of Angel


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This is my first fanfiction. I hope everyone likes it. I loved reading many of the stories on this site and finally decided to write one of my own. Reviews will be gratefully accepted. Also, this is likely to be a one shot story. 

Disclaimer: The Buffyverse and Angel etc all belong to Joss Whedon. I'm just borrowing them for this story.

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"Let's go to work."  
  
6:00 am, Last night. Rome, Italy.  
  
She wakes up, the sound of the screeching dragon ringing in her ears. Her heart pounds with the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she looks over at the alarm clock next to her bed. The red numbers flash to read 6:00 am. Her mind works quickly, it would be 10:00 pm in Los Angeles. Does she have the time? Quickly, getting out of bed, she starts to get ready. As she pulls a shirt over her head, the phone rings. She ignores it and keeps getting dressed. But the phone keeps ringing. Suddenly, the ringing stops and there is quiet muttering from the living room. Then she hears an annoyed voice at the door. "It's for you. Pick it up!" She picks up the phone as she throws clothes into a duffel bag. The familiar voice of her mentor starts to explain the situation and she cuts him off. "I know. Can you get me a flight?" A reply of yes is heard, then a pause. "I think everyone was informed." In shock, she stops packing and sits down. "Everyone?" Again, she receives a reply of yes. She tells him to arrange for everyone to head to Los Angeles. It's obvious she'll need them all.

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Present Time, Los Angeles.  
  
Angel doesn't have time to spare a glance around him. The endless hordes of demons require all the attention he has. He swings his sword, taking out several of the opponents in front of him. Behind him, he feels another presence, protecting his back. Spike and him back to back, protecting each other. Who would've ever guessed this was how it would end? Below their swords lies the third of their number. Gunn. But there is no time to weep.  
  
He swings his sword again and the hordes continue their onslaught. Nearby, demons go flying as Illyria fights her way from a swarm that covered her. Her rage has not ended, it grows worse as times goes on. Her hands are deadly weapons, she does not need a sword. The dragon flies overhead, then with a burst of flame, clears out some of the horde. It then flies in to attack.

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Approximately 8:00 pm, Cleveland, Ohio  
  
She runs through the terminal in Cleveland. It had taken too long for the arrangements. Her flight out of Rome was last minute and making plans to bring everyone from the area with her took forever. Luckily, her mentor was able to get a plane that could handle the number of people needed when she hit Cleveland. She barks some orders as she counts the number of people surrounding her. Will this be enough? Hopefully those she has coming into Los Angeles to meet her will meet her need. Last one on the plane, she paces down to the plane. Does she have enough time? It had been almost noon when she managed to leave Rome.

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Present time, Los Angeles, California  
  
He fights. Time blurs. All he knows is the battle. Spike behind him. Illyria beside them. Minutes blend. They battle on, the never-ending fight. He can feel the singed hair from the battle with the dragon. Its' carcass lays to the side, collapsed into the wall of the Hyperion. The building is sagging from the weight. It had taken more than just him and Spike to kill the dragon, Illyria protecting their backs from the horde. During the battle with the dragon, Connor had jumped down from the roof of the Hyperion, sword in hand. It had taken Connor's sword through the dragon's eye to kill it. It had thrown Connor off during its death throes and Angel had lost track of where his son was since. The hordes swept in again and the boost of power from Hamilton's blood was starting to wear off.

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Approximately 10:00 pm, Los Angeles, California  
  
She rushes off the plane, everyone following her. Luckily, Willow and Kennedy got here ahead of time and have prepared. A fleet of vans is waiting to take everyone to the site. Willow hugs her and smiles warmly. Directions are given to all the drivers. She steps outside into the rain. Ignoring the wet, she makes sure everyone is in a vehicle then gets into one herself.  
  
The roads are very quiet for Los Angeles. She is surprised. As they get closer to their destination, she understands why. The vehicles stop, about a block away from the horde ahead of them. Her army gets out and looks to her for orders. Willow, Xander, Dawn, Andrew, Faith, Kennedy, Giles. They were all back together now. Ready to save the world again. She would say it was because of her, but it really wasn't. It was because of these girls as well as her. The dream had woken all of them, summoning an army of Slayers. Buffy raises her scythe and shouts one  
word. "Charge!" And they do.  
  
The army of Slayers enters the fray from behind the horde. The Watchers, Giles, Andrew, Dawn, and Xander, join them, backing up the Slayers with what magic they know, and with the weapons at hand. Willow begins to call fireballs down on the demon horde. The tide seems to be turning.  
  
Partway through the horde, Connor is tiring. There seem to be too many of the demons to handle. Suddenly, the demons in front of him fall. In shock, Connor recognizes Faith at the same moment she recognizes him. With a nod to each other, they move at each other's side, towards where he last saw his father.  
  
On the other side of the horde, Angel and Spike are starting to falter. Illyria's rage has not subsided, it continues to give her energy. If it weren't for that fact, they'd both be dead. As it was, there have been many close calls. A sudden surge in the horde of demons around them separates the vampires from Illyria. Pushed apart, Angel and Spike forge on. It is all they can do to continue fighting. And then, it happens. He lets down his guard, too tired to block, and the axe swings. Spike is surrounded now on all sides. Spike always knew he'd go down fighting. The stake enters his back, reaching his heart and as his body turns to ash, he knows this is the end.  
  
Buffy and her army clear out the horde, many of the Slayers dying in the progress of doing so. But they win. She searches the alleyway, unable to find a hint of the two she saw in her dream. 


End file.
